Photo Resource. Abandoned tents, a large tent with a sofa and shopping carts. These are the remnants of the powerful pro-Palestine protest in Wageningen. The one remaining resident of the encampment is Brick, the last man standing.
Thursday morning, around eleven. The bridge in front of the Forum building is cold. The contrast with the pro-Palestine protest that began here seven months ago could hardly be more poignant. At the time, dozens of students pitched their tents in protest against the ties WUR was said to have with Israeli universities.
Similar protests occurred in Amsterdam, Nijmegen, Utrecht, and Rotterdam. While demonstrations in Nijmegen en Amsterdam got out of hand and tents eventually disappeared, Wageningen protestors remained largely peaceful. The few tents that remain are the last ones in the Netherlands.
Brick (who prefers to keep his real name to himself) crawls out of the single remaining inhabited tent. ‘Only my girlfriend and I continue to sleep here’. Whether the cold bothers them? ‘There are worse places to sleep. Moreover, we have nowhere else to go.’
There are informal discussions, but there is no eviction at hand
Brick and his girlfriend, who remains inside during the visit, live on the bridge. ‘I had a room, but I cancelled it.’ The executive board is aware of their situation, although the board refers to just a single tent-dweller. ‘According to our information, there is just one person’, the spokesperson says. ‘The bridge appears to be their permanent residence. We are extremely worried about their safety, particularly with the onset of winter. Of course, everyone has the right to protest, even when you are protesting as an individual. But when is something considered a demonstration? That is the dilemma we, as a university, face at this time,’ the spokesperson clarifies.
The spokesperson goes on to explain that it would seem that the bridge is not being used as a protest location but as a place of residence. ‘There is not just a bed, but also a fridge and a washing machine. Living there permanently is prohibited.’
Shrug
Brick shrugs. No one need worry about his safety. ‘WUR made it clear a few months ago that it will not change its position on Palestine. That is when I decided that as long as that remains their position, I will stay here. Of course I regret that we are the last protesters here. But if I had a room, I would still remain here.’
How long he can stay on the bridge remains to be seen. The university confirms it is currently investigating an acceptable way to put an end to the encampment. ‘There are informal discussions, but there is no eviction at hand’, the spokesperson says.
This article was previously published in De Gelderlander/Rosa de Buisonjé
